Beijing parents get court order to force their 36-year-old daughter to move out

Mr and Mrs Chen said their daughter was getting increasingly rude but admitted they might have pampered her too much

A Beijing couple obtained a court order to force their 36-year-old daughter, still living at home, to leave (Getty Images)

A Beijing couple, whose 36-year-old daughter would not leave the family, obtained a court order to force her to move out.

Mr and Mrs Chen, criticised their daughter, who was not named in Chinese media, who was not named by the Chinese media, for taking for granted all they had done for her but admitted they may have spoilt her a bit too much.

The parents explained their daughter refused to leave their home because she wanted to care for them, even after they gave her 150,000 yuan (£16,200) to buy a house, hinting it was time for her to go.

According to the Shanghaiist website, the pair said their daughter had become increasingly rude as she grew older and the trio argued more often, leading the Chens to suggest going through mediation to reconcile their differences. But she refused.

As a last resort, Mr and Mrs Chen filed a court case against their daughter, claiming that her behaviour was exhausting them and damaging their health.

A Beijing court ruled the couple were the legal owners of the house and were entitled to exclude their working daughter from their house, forcing the 36-year-old to leave her parents' home.

The judge from the Haidian district court added children have a duty to care, obey and respect their parents and that he hoped the family would resolve the conflict and value their relationship better in the future.

China has the fastest-ageing population, with the number of over 60 soon expected to overtake the entire US population, which is putting increasing pressure on young generations to take care of their relatives.

The case caused a stir on Chinese social media with users of Sina Weibo, a hybrid between Twitter and Facebook, debating the behaviour of "leftovers", a term which refers to women reaching 30 without marrying, whether or not they still live with their parents.

"Not getting married is fine, but you're an adult and you need to be independent," said one users.

"My leftover women friends are all independent and own their homes. They are willing to have their parents live with them," wrote another.

The 2010 census showed there were 118 men for every 100 women in China and this severe gender disbalance has put more pressure on men to marry.

Women with and high levels of education and income have been empowered by the trend but there is still an expectation in China women should make compromises and accept the destiny of married life.